iWorld
Zee5 strikes up partnership with TVF
KOLKATA: OTT platform Zee5 has announced a content partnership with TVF (The Viral Fever). After introducing Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai and Friends: The Reunion last month, the platform has now amped up its existing robust content library with more content of inherently Indian stories that resonate with entertainment seekers across the country.
The partnership includes the launch of originals and new seasons of iconic TVF shows on its SVOD platform, along with popular cult favourites that will be accessible to all, on its AVOD platform.
Zee5 has an exclusive line-up of new seasons of acclaimed TVF shows such as Pitchers Season 2, Tripling Season 3, Humorously Yours Season 3, and other popular titles like Engineering Girls Season 2 and The Aam Aadmi Family Season 4. The platform will enrich its bouquet of content offerings with the addition of 13 exciting TVF shows to its AVOD platform, it announced on Monday. In addition to the existing seasons of these shows, iconic titles like Permanent Roommates, Tech Conversations with Dad, Awkward Conversations, PA-Gals, Inmates, Weekends, The Insiders, Zeroes will be accessible to all.
Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said, the company’s focus for this year is ‘Entertainment Inclusion’, to ensure everybody, irrespective of the demographic and language preference, has access to purposeful entertainment on ZEE5. “Over 60 per cent of our audience comes from Hindi-speaking markets and TVF caters perfectly to that group. Being a customer-obsessed platform, we are delighted to bring these much-loved and iconic TVF shows to our platform to further enhance our extensive library of purposeful, multilingual, and diverse titles. Going forward, we will continue to satiate viewer’s appetite for entertainment by offering them a robust slate of differentiated stories in the language of their choice and at their fingertips, reinforcing our positioning as the Multilingual Storyteller for millions of entertainment seekers,” Kalra added.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd president (content & international markets) Punit Misra said, “Consumer obsession is the cornerstone of our content design thinking on Zee5. Our partnership with TVF is driven by that same obsession, as we seek the love and advocacy of both the OTT native youth audience as well as family audiences. Bringing in a mix of iconic shows and characters on one hand, and heart-warming new shows on the other, we hope to truly delight our viewers.”
The OTT platform is planning to build a strong repository of purposeful content and democratizing access to quality entertainment across the country, it said on Monday.
TVF founder Arunabh Kumar, said TVF has been trying to push the boundaries with its characters and stories. “We are confident that with the power of the Zee5 platform, our teams and stories will win the hearts of millions of new viewers across the country and the world over. With this collaboration, we are looking forward to creating real magic, not just bringing the best of TVF on the platform but also creating memorable new seasons and shows that our viewers and fans can thoroughly enjoy,” he added.
“We are excited to team up with TVF, the creators who put streaming content on the map in this country. Their stories inspire an instant connect as their slice-of-life shows closely mirror the viewers’ lives, with a charming ensemble of characters having relatable quirks brought alive by some very talented actors,” Zee5 India Hindi originals head Nimisha Pandey said.
iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
